1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a luminescent projectile used during night time paintball play or night time training exercises by military or police forces by which “tracer” and “marking” projectiles are utilized in low light or dark conditions. The “tracer” effect serves as entertainment or a visual reference for a line of fire, which allows for corrections and adjustments to be made. Further, in daytime paintball games or in military and police exercises, the visible “marking” of a target by the contents of a projectile generally designates elimination from play or participation.
This invention also relates to a paintball fabricated from an aqueous or water based material, rather than a hydrocarbon or glycerin and/or glycol based material. The tracer effect may be included with a water based paintball by adding a phosphorescent material to the aqueous material and/or to material that forms a shell portion of the paintball.
Further, this invention relates to a water based capsule for products regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
In addition, the present invention also relates to a paintball having water based fill material therein and, more particularly, to a method for fabricating a plurality of paintballs with the water based fill material.
2. Background of the Prior Art
The use of Luminescent paintballs is known in the prior art. The prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 5,018,450; U.S. Pat. No. 3,774,022; U.S. Pat. No. 3,940,605; U.S. Pat. No. 4,706,568; U.S. Pat. No. 5,762,058; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 264,364; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,298,841.
The problem with prior art luminescent paintballs is that the effective brilliance and duration of visible light emitted from the phosphorescent material in the paintball, is a function of the intensity and duration of exposure of the phosphorescent material to ultraviolet (UV) light. More specifically, the phosphorescent material in a liquefied material in an inner portion of the paintball, receives less UV light than an outer shell portion resulting in reduced visible light being emitted from the phosphorescent material of the inner portion of the luminescent paintball; but because there is a larger quantity of phosphorescent material in the inner portion than in the outer shell, the magnitude of emitted visible light from the inner portion is comparable to the magnitude of emitted visible light from the outer shell.
After the luminescent paintball is discharged from a paintball “gun,” the emitted visible light (and the tracing effect) from the projected paintball begins to decay. Prior art luminescent paintballs having phosphorescent material in both the outer and inner portions provide an adequate tracing effect after being discharged from a paintball “gun.” Prior art luminescent paintball having phosphorescent material in only the inner portion or only in the outer portion, provide an inadequate tracing effect after being discharged from a paintball gun.
Further, only the phosphorescent material of the inner portion marks or identifies a target struck during a nighttime luminescent paintball episode, because the outer shell ruptures and falls to the ground upon impacting the target. Should the phosphorescent material of the inner portion receive insufficient UV exposure or should the required marking time of the target be beyond the luminescent capabilities of the phosphorescent material, the luminescent paintball will correspondingly fail to identify a struck target thereby failing to promote the nighttime paintball episode.
A need exists for a glow in the dark paintball that provides a tracing effect when discharged from a paintball gun, and that provides a lasting marking feature when the paintball strikes a target. The tracing effect is provided by a phosphorescent material in only an outer shell of the paintball being exposed to UV light. The marking effect is provided by a light generating material in the inner portion of the paintball that does not require a UV light source, instead, the light generating material emits light due to a chemical reaction rather than by exposure to a UV light.
The use of hydrocarbons or oils such as glycol and glycerin for fabricating paintballs used during daylight or nighttime (by adding a phosphorescent material) hours is well known in the art. The problem with oil based paintballs using glycol and/or glycerin is that the paintball is relatively expensive to manufacture, especially with current oil prices constantly increasing. Further, oil based paintballs are not biodegradable, are difficult to wash from target surfaces, and remain on non-targeted surfaces such as trees and buildings for relatively long time periods.
A need exists for day and night paintballs that are relatively inexpensive, biodegradable and that use a paint that is relatively easy to remove from target and non-target surfaces.
Further, a need exists for applying the technology for fabricating the shells of paintballs to capsules of pharmaceutical “pills.” More specifically, pharmaceutical capsules include polyethylene glycol as a “fill” material. Utilizing a water based fill material in the capsule, reduces the cost of fabrication and provides an aqueous filler to deliver medication via a capsule, which is ingested and provides a new method for the administration of drugs.
In addition, conventional methods of manufacturing soft-gel capsules or paintball shells use a rotary die process to simultaneously form gelatin shells into the desired shape and to fill the shells with non-aqueous liquid components. Since gelatin is a water soluble, animal-derived polymer, water based fillers cannot be encapsulated within gelatin shells. As a consequence, gelatin shell fills generally contain polyethylene glycols (“PEG”) or oils which are compatible with gelatin but are expensive and limit the types of actives and additives which can be dissolved in the PEG.
Further, the rotary die process was designed specifically for water soluble gelatin shells, therefore thermoplastic and/or water insoluble polymers are not applicable to the rotary die process when fabricating shells. In the case of paintballs, there has long been a desire, for a water-based paintball fill that would not stain clothing or field structures, would not damage painted surfaces, would be easier to clean up, cost less to produce, and that would be more environmentally friendly. Leftover gelatin shells in many paintball fields can be problematic due to the bad smell as they decompose and the high biological oxygen demand (“B.O.D”), which can result from water runoff contaminated by gelatin. Manufacturers of paintballs have long sought a water based formula for the fill material in paintballs, and a method for fabricating paintballs with a water based fill material, since present formulas are expensive and in short supply. In addition, gelatin paintballs are often exposed to conditions which directly cause defects to occur within the inner fill or outer shell of the projectile. When prior art gelatin paintballs are subjected to temperatures above 85 F or high humidity, gelatin paintballs become soft and swell thus preventing proper shooting or breaking properties. When subjected to temperatures below 45 F, gelatin paintballs become brittle which can result in fracturing of the outer shell by the projection system, prior to engaging and impacting upon a target.
The paintball and the methods for fabricating the paintball of the present invention deviate substantially from that of prior art paintballs. While the prior art describes a multitude of fabrication methods, all fail to employ or remotely describe the combination of processes and materials found within the present invention. More particularly, the prior art fails to teach methods for assembling a non-water soluble, flangeless paintball that is commercially viable, capable of mass production, and yet employs a process that permits product variation and flexibility. This is evident by the absence of such a product and process in the paintball industry, which primarily employs soft gelatin manufacturing methods to produce paintballs. The present invention provides viable mass production methods, materials and parameters for those processes, and yields a distinct, commercially viable product when compared to the prior art.